Scan barcode
purplepenning's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Incredibly good graphic novel debut from author and artist! Gorgeous, vibrant art captures the sweetness and the pain in this story of a Dominican American family coming to terms with personal grief and inherited racist ideas about beauty. Marlene is an absolute delight — a good kid and talented young artist who is questioning hair politics, growing into her authentic self, and finding the courage to bring others with her. And three cheers for tia Ruby and her chicken!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Body shaming, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Racism
onceandfuturereaders's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Frizzy is a beautiful story about Marlene who has curly hair. Every week her mom takes her to the salon to have her hair done and every week she’s absolutely miserable during the appointment. She’s constantly hearing about how she should strive to keep her hair maintained - the goal being “good hair”. But everything she does seems to work against keeping her hairstyles maintained and she immediately is made to feel bad when they get messed up. She just wants to go back to being a kid before anyone cared about her hair. This story is her journey to figuring out how to embrace her natural hair and get everyone else in her world to embrace it too.
I adored this story. Geared towards middle school kids, I think it helps to demonstrate how micro aggressions can make people, especially children, feel. I loved that it wasn’t just Marlene overcoming bullies at school, but also helping those who she loved most see that they were harming her with their comments on her hair. I thought her Tía Ruby was a wonderful role model and I loved their relationship. I also enjoyed how it explored how her mom’s behavior was fueled by her past experiences, showing that even well intentioned people who love us can do harm.
It is easy to identify with Marlene and her experiences with her mom, but as a mom myself, it’s also easy to take some lessons in how even good intentions can harm our children. Trying to get them to fit in boxes deemed right by society can do so much harm. I had to sit with this book for a bit. I’d highly recommend for kids, but adults can take away lessons too.
Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I adored this story. Geared towards middle school kids, I think it helps to demonstrate how micro aggressions can make people, especially children, feel. I loved that it wasn’t just Marlene overcoming bullies at school, but also helping those who she loved most see that they were harming her with their comments on her hair. I thought her Tía Ruby was a wonderful role model and I loved their relationship. I also enjoyed how it explored how her mom’s behavior was fueled by her past experiences, showing that even well intentioned people who love us can do harm.
It is easy to identify with Marlene and her experiences with her mom, but as a mom myself, it’s also easy to take some lessons in how even good intentions can harm our children. Trying to get them to fit in boxes deemed right by society can do so much harm. I had to sit with this book for a bit. I’d highly recommend for kids, but adults can take away lessons too.
Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Racism
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Death of parent and Grief
howlinglibraries's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Well, this was adorable and precious, and a very necessary story to be told! Frizzy follows Marlene, a young Dominican girl whose mother makes her get her hair straightened every week, but all Marlene wants is to wear her natural curls and be herself. It's an incredibly uplifting, family-oriented story of how much of an impact our family members' unkind and shallow commentary can have on our lives, as well as focusing on colorism, anti-Blackness, and the pain that comes with being told your natural appearance isn't "good enough", professional enough, etc.
The art is gorgeous, Marlene is such a lovable protagonist, and I really enjoyed her Tía Ruby, her best friend Camila, and even her mother (she has room to grow, but luckily we get to see that progress in the end!). I'm so happy that this book exists and highly recommend it to any young reader, but especially young readers who will be able to relate to Marlene's feelings about her hair and how society views it.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Representation: Marlene and her family are Dominican
The art is gorgeous, Marlene is such a lovable protagonist, and I really enjoyed her Tía Ruby, her best friend Camila, and even her mother (she has room to grow, but luckily we get to see that progress in the end!). I'm so happy that this book exists and highly recommend it to any young reader, but especially young readers who will be able to relate to Marlene's feelings about her hair and how society views it.
Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Representation: Marlene and her family are Dominican
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Body shaming, and Bullying
Minor: Death of parent and Grief
More...